This invention relates to a bullet structure for a conventional cartridge, and more specifically relates to a novel bullet structure which has a limited range suitable for training purposes, but which otherwise reproduces the other important bullet characteristics necessary for training purposes.
Conventional ammunition, particularly machine gun ammunition, is expensive and has a very long range. For example, conventional caliber 0.50 ammunition used in the M2 machine gun with a bullet which complies with the M33 cartridge envelope has a maximum range o approximately 6,700 meters. Such bullets have sufficiently high kinetic energy that, even after interception by a target on a target range, they will carry for extensive distances and will be subject to considerable ricochet. As a result, machine gun training for military personnel is restricted to a few military facilities which have sufficient range.
There exist various types of short-range training ammunition. These, however, do not provide training at realistic target ranges and require the use of a special adapter or recoil amplifier which will cause a conventional weapon to cycle properly, and to exhibit realistic characteristics which are experienced at normal target engagement distances.